1926-12-02 — Page 5

Page

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER

ALTRUISTIC LAWYERS. THE CANTON SURTAXES.

A NEW MOVE IN CANTON.

THE EXODUS TO WUCHANG.

TALK OF A COMMERCIAL AEROPLANE SERVICE.

[TROM OVE CHINESK CORRESPONDENT.]

41

"

Merchants, Landlords, and all persons possessing a little wealth in Canton they are described as "capitalista or "van-guards of imperialism"-will," in future, have another organized force against them, in addition to the unions and adherents of the Communist Party Kuomintang lawyers have just organized a Legal Aid Society, offering to appear as counsels free to all workers and “

op pressed people" in case the latter have trouble with their employers.

The New Capital..

HOW THEY ARE COLLECTED

MIN, SWATOW.

A MOVE OF CALCULATIONS.

T

MYSTERIOUS EXTRAS.

[SPECIALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE “ HƠNG KONG DAILY FL1138.”)

The Swatow Offion of the New Inland Tax Bureau opened on November 8th Notices were published in some of the local Chiness papers instructing the publie that importers and exporters of goods were required to file with the new Office identical import and export ap- plications as presented to the Maritime Customs. Further, Maritime Customs Duty Memos were required at the new office before Duty has been paid to the Customis, to facilitate calculation of the the theory being that 21 surtax: exactly half of the Customs Duty charged would be levied by the new office. Pay. ment of the surtax.in rigidly restricted to banknotes of the Central Kuomintang Government Bank, which, though a close monopoly and an oficially "forced" small-coin currency, fluctuate daily in terms of Mexican Silver dollars.

Upon the departure of the Euomintang leaders for Wachang on December sin, all troops remaining in Kwangtüng will be put under the command of the Com-

When the 21% Surtax was first institut missioner for Military Affairs of Kwanged in Canton the general idea was that tung, a now post to be assumed by the Canton Government decided to General Li Tsai Hain. General Li Tai simplify matters by balving exactly the Hsin is also a member of the Kwangtung amount due to the Chinese Maritime Provincial Commission, which Commis- Customs In theory, and possibly in mission, now composed of eleven mem- Canton, it is all very simple. An im hers, "will be the governing body in Can-porter precents his application to the ton after the removal of the"Kuomintang Customs, either supports it with original Headquarters.

ፊ

Liberal concessions are being promised Chinese now in Canton who will pro ceed to Wachang and Hankow to start business there, and it is understood that certain enterprising individuals are plan. nidy to build a million dollar hotel at the new

Kuomintang Capital."

invoices or has his goods examined, duty is assessed thereon and the amount chargeable is stated on the Duty Hero in Haikuan Tacks. He converts the taels into Mexican dollars at the fixed rate of Haikuan Tls. 1-Mex. 81.5865 and pays into the Customs, or into the Customs bankers, the required sum in Mexican dollars Then the importer goes to the 21 Tax Bureau and in theory and possibly in Canton-he pays exactly half in Swatow-No! Simplicity seems to of the amount paid to the Customs. But

have been deliberately" avoided and

According to Kuomintang reports, the Kuomintang Aviation Bureau has recently imported 26 acroplanes from Bussia. Some of these machines which have already been unpacked at Whampoa will, it is said, be used for commercial pur methods, tortuous beyond all reason, poses in transporting passengers and shady paat belief, have been instituted. mails between Hankow and Canton by A merchant, wishing to import goods way of Changsha and Nanchang.....

into Swatow, must apply in the usual manner to the Maritime Customs. When eventually be obtains his Duty Memo. he must, before paying the duty to the Customs, take the Memo. round to the new Tax Office to be assessed for the 21% Surtax.

The Trouble in the Rice Trade. The right of employers to organize and to decide upon a general policy regarding their employees has been denied to

Canton rice merchants. The rice mer- chants have petitioned the Kuomintang to stop labour pickets blockading their shops and depôts but the Kuomintang have dimply replied, "You arrange with your employees for a settlement." Since the strike in the rice trade the price of rice has risen more than 10 per cent. Some 18 large rice firms have received threatening letters, hinting that, unless they agree to the terms set forth by their employees, their names will be in- cluded among these charged with having sold rice to anti-Reds."

Fish-mongers in Kongmoon are threat- ening to suspend business as a protest against a new Kuomintang tax on the sale of fish. The tax is 40 cents on each

picul of fish brought to the market

Since November 20th, workmen `and students in Pakhoi, Limehow, have been ́on, strike, as a protest against tyranny and heavy taxation. Complaints have been lodged with the Canton Kuomintang authorities by three representatives of the local residents who are now in Can- ton presenting petitions for relief in per- son.

J

Canton Water Works.

The shareholders of the Canton Water Supply Company have called an extra ordinary general meeting for December 5th to protest against the recent nation alization" of their property. The Chi-

**

nose ia Hong Kong and other Ports are greatly interested in the case, which is regarded as furnishing & test whether or not a political party dominating a terri tory may take over property belonging to incorporated bodies.

TRADE REPORTS.

CANTON AND SWATOW,

Reports from Canton and Swatow do not show much material change in the trade position.

The Taishan brought down a "fair amount of cargo from Canton on Tuesday but the Fatahan yesterday only carried the usual amount of produce.

A message from Swatow says that no British goods are entering the Fort but British vessels are carrying and working Chinese cargo without any trouble..

19

ONE SHARE ALLOTTED.

FARMING COMPANY'S

“APPLICATION.

CORRESPONDENCE.

PIRACY PREVENTION.

[TO THE EDITOM OF THE BONG KONG- DAILY FRESS"]

Sm-The following complaint might interest the Powers-that-be who define Piracy Prevention Regulations."

At the Supreme Court yesterday, be fore Sir Henry Golian (the Chief Justice) Mr. Somerset Fitzroy applied for extension of time on behalf of the Kin Yip Investment and Farming Company

I am a constant traveller up' North, of Fanling for the allotment of a share.

It was explained that the Company and have always taken passage by either was a limited liability one with a capital. S. or China Merchants' boats. On of 875,000 divided into 150 shares of 8500 several of my trips, I noticed that, before each. In the absence of the chief manager, the steamer sailed and searching for con- one share had been allotted and the acting traband was in progress, one or two of manager had failed to comply with the the Chinese searchers would invariably ask passengers bringing a large number regulation.

Extension of time until December 2nd of trunks, &c., for $3 per trunk or a was granted.

lump sum for all the luggage, and searching would be dispensed with. If their request was not acceded to, an example would be set by having one of the trunks opened and ransacked from top to bottom, and every piece of cloth- ing unfolded and bundled up on the bed. Of, coarse passengers carrying a large number of trunks, would be intimidated as they do not wish their belongings to be spread out in like manner after all the trouble they have taken to have them Sir Henry Gollan (the Chief Justice) properly packed up; and would accede to in granting the application said he was the request for payment after a bargain. pleased to do so, and wished Mr. Lo a bad been struck. I do not wish to insinuate that all Chinese searchers are successful career.

Mr. Lo is a brother of Messrs. Make; indeed some are very keen in their and M. W. Lo and is now a partner in duty for promotion's sake, yet the the firm. He was educated in Queen's amount of squeeze obtained by this College, and while there obtained the method is abnormal. I was thus ap Junior Morrison," "Ho Fook," and the proached once by a searcher, but I fatly

NEW SOLICITOR.

UR HORACE LO ADMITTED,

S

At the Supreme Court yesterday, the Hon. Mr. J. H. Kemp (the Attorney General) applied for the admission and enrolment as a solicitor in Hong Kong of Mr. Horace Lo.

:

4

"Senior Morrison "? scholarships, the latter being, of course, the most coveted prize. He left Queen's College in 1813 when he matriculated, and went to the Hong Kong University, where he studied in the Arts Faculty for two years

He was aroled to Mr. M. K. Lo in

November 1991 and went to England on the 30th January, 1924, and whilst there he attended the office of Messrs. Lo and Lo's London agents, Messrs. Darley, Cumberland & Co., and went through a course of legal studies with the well- Gibson and Weldon. He returned to the known army of law coachers, Messa

Colony in September, 1995.

And lastly, why does the Tax Office, when giving its official receipt for surtax paid io, deliberately omit all details of the "extras" noted above?

Whether the Kuomintang will answer these queries or not there is no denying the inherent right of a taxpayer to put the questions. In Swatow this Surtax is already nearly 3%, by Chinese New Year it might, well he % or 10%-what about it?'

Instead of dividing the Customs amount by two and making an end of the matter the following maze of calcula- tion takes place jointly between Tax In conclusion a word might usefully Office and Merchant. (An hypothetical be said, firstly about the methods of the case of a Customs Duty Memo. of Hai-local surtax office in their relations with kuan Tle. 100 is taken to point the British firms and, secondly about the argument).

Custoins Daty H.K. Tls. 100.00

half thereof H.K. Ta... 50.00 Charcoal Money—or the cost of melting down imaginary syete silver Tls. 0.002 per Tuel

10% Surtax for the

in Klangst

relief of Famine and Hupch on The so

plus H.K. Tla, 0.40

per Tis. (minimum) for clerical work...

converted into Cen- tral Bank notes at “a daily fuctuating rate fixed by the Tax Office DOW about 1.80

.10

H.K. Tia 50.10

5.00

·H.K. Ti... 55,10

40

$.99.90

Having arrived at this amount of Central Bank notes 88.60 the merchant

political implications of the Surtax..

refused to consider his demands.

Of course, if this practice continues, would-be pirates and smugglers have the trump card in their hands, and could, if they come across one of these avaricious searchers, escape search and detection quite easily. Unconsciously, these men are aiding smuggling, and in fact, can be called accomplices to so many undesired and undetected miscreants in the Colony.

I would suggest that posters be shown on board the ships to the effect that. on no account should passengers bribe Police searchers, and that if found out, penalty would be imposed.-Yours faithfully,

REFORMER

En Nor: Our correspondent deals with a subject which has been ventilated. on many previous occasions. It is nd- searchers but they cannot be detected milted" "that there may be dishonest

unless the passengers will denounce them to the police and this the passengers invariably refuse to do. It might help matters if notices were posted announc ing that anyone found giving money to searchers would be prosecuted, but the co-operation of the public with the Euro- real solution of the difficulty lies in the pean officials. If our correspondent, for example, when approached by a searcher the matter some practical good might for "squeeze! had immediately reported have been done.]

*** TAISHAN " TRAGEDY.

AMERICAN ABMY CAPTAIN'S DEATH.

Captain Ellis D. Weigle, of the 91st Coast Artillery of the U.S. Army, waa found dead in a bathroom on board the

Hong Kong on Tuesday night.

Tahan, shortly after her arrival in

pre-

To this day not a single foreign firm in Swatow has received official notification concerning the new Burtax. Consuls, Commissioners for Foreign Affairs, The Surtas Office itself-all are silent. It was unlikely therefore that foreign firms would, on the opening day, rush round to the Surtax Office with dollars clinking and notes crackling in their pockets,

The body was discovered by a cabin scrambling over each other in their haste

boy, and it was apparent that deceased to pay. The foreign firms preserved silence almost as discreet as their Con- had been violently sick before he died. sula. The result was that on November Some crystals and bromide tabloids were

found in the room. 19th certain British firm received

Deceased went up to Canton the several visits from a gang of hooligans, HK Tis. 55.50, officially described as watchers" for vious day, and boarded the Taishan on the Burtax Office, armed with a warrant Tuesday a few minutes before she left. for the summary arrest of the firm's He disappeared and was not seen again Chinese manager. The

until his body was discovered. In his latter was threatened with imprisonment, etc., if pockets were found six gold dollars he did not instantly report to the Burtax (American) and local currency, to Office and pay the 21% on everything gether with a ticket to Japan by the imported by the firm lace November 6th N.DL. & Yorch, Also in his posscasion was's passport issued at Manils on Nor Fortunately the European manager was to the Central Bank itself, preferably on the spot and with difficulty succeeded the former, and sell his silver dollars in pacifying an exceedingly bad-temper to purchase the notes. This he has to ed and loud-voiced "head-watcher." The do also at a daily fluctuating rate, the firm in question approached the Consul

being quoted at present at about 80 for advice and his reply was that the On enquiry at the American Consulate. One or two points in the above British Government had, in common with yesterday, it was stated that decessed had not called there prior to going to analysie ball for comment. Firstly, other foreign governments, protested Canton the previous day. A message What is Charcoal Money, What has the against the Burtaz and declared that it had been sent to the Consul at Manila Swatow Department of the Canton Gor was illegal. But, said the Consul, concerning the disposal of the body. It ernment got to do with the imaginary you do not want your Chinese molested is likely that the body will be removed to process of melting down imaginary you had better interview the Buztáx office furt sycee silver K

yourself." This advice was followed to Secondly, when was there a famine in the letter, although the Manager of the Klangai and Hapeh Who caused it? Surtax Office was rude enough to break How much of the extra 10% charged goes two definite appointments which he made.

Tamine relief T

There

Was a vague general ides abroad Thirdly, who is responsible for the when the 23% Burtax was launched that charge of 4 Haikuan mace per Tla. 100, After all the consumer paid in the end it was rather & meat little exchange for clerical work? Is this charge made so why not let the Canton Government in Canton or is it merely a bright notion Stms in Swatów have paid the 21% raise some money. Now, alter British that came into the heads of the young (nominal) 3% (actual) surtax, the boy sters who fun the local office!

cott of British gooda had been re-imposed,

What is the next move 1

to

to-go into the Exchange Market or

(Continued on next Column)

13

General William Weigle, ofis of the most Decensed is said to be the son of Major. distinguished of the senior officers of the United States Army,

Manilk for burial.

EUROPEAN ARRESTED.

ALLEGED POSSESSION OF OPIUM

European, who is alleged to havo had opium in his possession, was exported Superintendent of the Imports and Ex- yesterday morning by Mr. J. D. Lloyd, ports Office, to a late hour last night, but it was Further details were not available up stated that the nocused man would be formally charged this morning at the Central Magistracy.

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